


Muscular adventures

by MuscleDude



Category: Persona 5
Genre: F/M, Muscle, Muscles, YEAH BUDDAY, lightweight, mirin?, muslce love, we're all gonna make it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-02
Updated: 2020-11-11
Packaged: 2021-02-27 14:46:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,465
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22088857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MuscleDude/pseuds/MuscleDude
Summary: Watch as our dear Akira gets tangled up in various shenanigans. why? because of his rippling, swole and shredded physique!i was thinking about how these powerful characters in manga, anime and video games are always scrawny lanky fuckers. not any more!if you have any suggestions, pray tell.
Relationships: Kawakami Sadayo/Kurusu Akira, Kurusu Akira/Niijima Sae, Kurusu Akira/Takamaki Ann, Kurusu Akira/Takemi Tae
Comments: 22
Kudos: 59





	1. Uplifting spirits, deadlifting weights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> my main man Akira wanted a quiet and peacefull quick deadlift sesh for dat dere test boost. quiet friday night, what could happen?

The constant chitter chatter of the Shibuya streets intimidated Sadayo. She was never one for bustling busy beehives such as this one, but it was the only way for her to reach _it_. The gym. In a tucked away alley, almost hidden form the public, where reps and sets snuck out of father time’s view, lay the beginning of Sadayo’s fitness journey.

‘This is it. I already have my routine and proper technique memorized. Light weights, focus on form, hydration …,’ she kept muttering to herself the different mental bullet points she prepared in advance, and before she knew it, she found herself changed in gym attire. ‘Heh, not bad for little old me’ she exclaimed when catching a glimpse of her figure in the mirror. For a complete beginner, she figured coming in at a time with the least people would be ideal. “I mean, what kind of loner would come to the gym a Friday evening? ... Besides me’.

Sadayo quickly snapped away from her trance when she heard the heavy sound of weights slamming on the floor. Heading over to inspect, she found herself looking at the back of a young man. ‘Huge… so wide… is he a bodybuilder or something?’ When researching the basic exercises to get in shape, Sadayo found herself quite surprised at the amount of muscle anatomy she learned. She could confidently name the major muscles in any given region. In addition, this rippling young man made it a hundred times easier. Sadayo found herself tracing the outline of his muscles with her eyes. His neck was almost concealed by those mountain-top like trapezius. His latissimus dorsi were spread like a pair of wings, with glistening sweat running down on them. She gazed at his shoulders, popping put like two bowling balls. Their width was as impressive as their thickness.

When the man turned around, Sadayo recognized the familiar messy hair and grey eyes. None other than your friendly neighborhood delinquent, Akira Kurusu. “kyaa!” exclaimed sadayo, at the sight of her shirtless student. His muscles were impressive, playing the fine line between size and definition. She couldn’t take her eyes off of them, it was the first time she’s seen anything like it. “Beck- Mrs. Kawakami, what are you doing here?” her eyes scanning akira’s midsection, she could only mutter “shirt… put on a shirt…”. Her thoughts were all over the place, she didn’t know why she couldn’t look away. His physique was strangely mesmerizing and captivating. No matter how Sadayo tried to avert her gaze, she always ended up one way or another with her eyes fixed on him. ‘Oh god…. out of all the people, why did it have to be _him_? If anyone sees us…’ her thoughts were interrupted by Akira’s interjection. Relieved – although not glad – that her student’s body was now covered, in spite of his imposing frame, she assembled herself enough to form a coherent sentence: “well, I decided to get into shape and pursue a healthier life style’

Akira’s eyes lit up like fireworks, and exploded with newfound energy: “Oh really?! Mrs Kawakami, that’s so great I mean the journey of physical improvement is one of the best roads you can take and did you know that Greek philosophers established a direct link between intellect and fitness and…” seeing him trail off like that, Sadayo couldn’t help but smile. ‘What a weird kid..’, she thought. Akira’s excitement and energy rubbed off on her and pumped her up, as weird as that may have seemed. Realizing he was rambling like an old man, Akira quickly straightened himself: “ _Ahem_. I got a little carried away, I apologize. What I’m trying to say is, I would gladly show you the basics to ensure the best results.”

“Oh! uhm no that’s fine really, I mean I already kind of researched things on my own so I should really just head on over and do my deadlifts-“

“DEADLIFTS?! I loooooove deadlifts!” her student interjected energetically. The pure excitement and radiating joy were emanating an aura around Akira. He suddenly bent over and put his fists together. “MOST MUSCLUAAAAAR!!!!” he roared across the empty gym as his shirt ripped off and shred into little pieces of cloth. Sadayo’s dumbfounded expression was over-shadowed by the hypnotizing muscularity of the specimen in front of her. Akira quickly darted across the gym, grabbing a bar and two circular plates. “Ok so this is called a barbell, and the standard weight is 20kg, and these plates here are…” As Sadayo saw that there was absolutely no way she could escape this lesson, she smiled and let her student be the teacher for once.

An hour later, after Akira made sure to turn Sadayo into a deadlifting master, along with the other exercises in her routine, the two sat on the end of his barbell to rest.

“This looks so thick… how much is this?” asked Sadayo panting and breathing in gulps.

“Feel the plates. Rubber. We call ‘em bumper plates. 90kg each side plus the 20kg bar”

“Hmm let’s see that makes…” a look of surprise suddenly painted over Sadayo’s face “200kg?! Do you know how dangerous this could be for you, at such a young age especially! You should really tone it down and-… why are you laughing?”

“It’s nothing. Just very different from your usual demeanor at school, said Akira between chuckles. Oh! uhm, no offence!”, the student quickly attempted to manage the situation and set himself straight.

Sighing with a tired look on her face, Sadayo responded: “none taken”, mostly due to akira’s worried look which amused Sadayo. “Why do you do this thing anyway?”

“Well, physical fitness is important, you know. A man’s body is a spitting image of his self-respect”

“Looks like someone read their Socrates, said Sadayo raising a questioning eyebrow. If only you could be as interested during class.” before Akira could insert one of his signature witty remarks, Sadayo quickly followed up: “so what’s the _real_ reason you do this?”. Seeing the look on Akira’s face, she elaborated: “no normal kid would move around 200kg just for ‘physical fitness’.”

With a puzzling smile, Akira thought the question over : “would you believe me if I said it’s for a job? A job where my physical ability is of utmost importance to ensure its success and the safety of my coworkers.” it was Sadayo’s turn to give him a confused look. Amused, Akira quickly dismissed the situation: “and is it so alien to think that I do it for fun? self-improvement is the most humnan thing we could do. fighting today, for a better tomorrow. When I’m constantly being treated as scum at school, it’s nice to feel joy in something.”

After a moment of silence, Sadayo’s voice echoed: “you’re… a really weird kid, you know that?”

“Says the maid…”

“Hey! That’s not fair and you know it. You just seem to have all this weight on your shoulders. You come in some days looking so exhausted… The number of times you fell asleep in my class is amazing.”

“So you saw me? And here I thought I was being sneaky.” replied Akira with a cocky smile.

“Is it because of that job…?”

After a few moments of reflection, Akira turned to kawakami with a bemused look. “To put it the shortest and simplest way possible, yes. It’s because of my job.” The boy looked somewhere in the distance, and with a hundred yard stare added: “You’ve changed, Becky.”

The fact that Sadayo wasn’t expecting such a line was pretty obvious. Her poor attempt at hiding the slight blush in her cheeks didn’t account for much. “I would have never imagined having such a talk with the old you, ya know. Back when you were looking at me like yesterday’s garbage left on a hot summer’s day”

“d-don’t say that!” her anger and embarrassment were palpable, which amused Akira to no end

“See you later, Mrs Kawakami. When the veil of night comes down, I’ll be calling.”

“pfff, tryhard” she replied.

Left sitting alone on the loaded barbell, Sadayo couldn’t help but smile. She had been feeling an increasing warmth for this messy-haired troublemaker for the past weeks. But images of glistening trapezius and soaring latissimus came back to her. She was becoming hotter and hotter as her cheeks were gradually reddening. “oh god, don’t tell me… I have a muscle fetish... AND FOR MY STUDENT?!”

*

As Akira sat on his bed, idly scrolling through his messages, his eyes shot up, almost bulging out of the orbit, as a sudden realization came to him. “FUUUUUUUUUUUUCK I FORGOT TO RE-RACK THE WEIGHTS AGAIN”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i almost made this a "owo teacher? what are you doing here ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)"


	2. Applied anatomy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 1000 reps a day keep the doctor away! or does it......!

As Akira wandered through the quaint streets of yongen jaya, a certain feline kept pestering him about supplies and guns. “Nonsense! All the guns I need are right here baby! “said the boy, flexing his biceps. However, as soon as he lifted his arms, a grimace of pain smeared his face: “AAAHHH I’m sore!”

“Well then, maybe you shouldn’t spend so much time at the gym and focus on phantom thievery! You know, the thing you’re supposed to do?”

“Morgana, you weigh ten kilograms soaking wet. I mean, do you even lift? As I recall, I’m always doing the heavy stuff in the palaces.”

“Not when you’re _this_ sore.” protested morgana. But it was futile, the boy wasn’t listening anymore and kept walking with his lips crept up into a smug smile. “Just hurry up, will you? Takemi’s waiting.”

The clinic was a quiet and small, two-roomed apartment on the fifth floor of a building. The waiting room was empty today, and even the usual buzzing of the TV wasn’t there. The tapping of fingernails on a table could be heard from inside the examination room, as a woman dressed in punk attire and blue hair looked at the clock, annoyed. The only thing befitting a doctor on her was the pristine white lab coat that only accentuated her eccentric choice of style.

She heard the door open, and with a swivel of her chair she snapped towards the boy: “you’re late.”. ‘Oh god, Akira thought facing the angry woman, she’s going to kill me’

“30 minutes. Thirty. Minutes.” she said, making sure accentuate every word. “Now strip”

“… Excuse me?” Akira was perplexed. Having a cold blooded and calm demeanor was crucial for successful phantom thieving, but the boy’s façade was shattered to pieces by takemi’s unexpected order.

“I was originally planning to give you a lighter mixture today, but while I was waiting, I devised a new formula. It’s quite a bit on the heavier side, since I haven’t had time to balance everything, but you’ll be all right…I think.”

“Ok, it packs a punch, but why do I need to strip?” the boy asked, still as perplexed.

“Ah, right, said the woman matter-of-factly. I will be taking extensive measurements of your vitals and other bodily variables. This solution focuses on muscle mass and general response of muscle fibers, so a thorough check up is in order.”

Swallowing the gulp in his throat, Akira looked at Takemi and resolved himself that no matter what might happen; he will never lose his rippling muscles. After all, he just had to go on a bulk and everything would be all right. “You can take your shirt off” was the signal to let his physique loose.

“This shouldn’t be anything that you can’t hand-“ takemi stopped dead in her sentence as she turned to face the now shirtless Akira, with a skin splitting upper body pump from today’s gym session. Her mouth remained open as she stared blankly at the specimen in front of her. As a doctor, she had been forced to take anatomy and rheumatology lessons, so she knew her way around a muscle map. but every example she had seen of a muscular physique has only been in a book or on the internet. to see the size, width, thickness and definition of a human body achieving its full potential was mesmerizing for her, even if only from a doctorial point of view.

“…holy shit…” was the only thing she could mutter under her breath, just low enough for Akira not to hear. With a slight blush and a stutter, she invited Akira to sit down for a lung check. The cold surface of the stethoscope made akira’s pectorals tense up. ‘Hard as a rock! impressive.’ thought Takemi. She tried burying her stethoscope further, but to no avail. The iron defenses of his chest were impregnable. Realizing that she must have spent about two minutes staring, she quickly moved on to his abdominals. Oh, what a mistake this would prove to be! She didn’t even have the time to take the stethoscope, as a wall of perfectly sculpted rectus abdominis demanded her attention. Like six chiseled stones, she felt each and every one of them. The normally thin and barely visible muscles now felt thick, and as if, they could pop out at any moment. She tried to avert her gaze, but only met his obliques. Like the branches of a weeping willow, these steel fibers were conducting her back onto his abs. with her fingers, she walked all over his midsection, carefully inspecting it.

The silence that invaded the room and the thorough inspection made by Takemi made akira fear for his life. He felt like a house being checked before demolition. “uhm…Takemi?” he spoke, after resolving himself to mutter some words. The doctor jumped and twitched, and clearing her throat, she declared:

“Y-yes, everything is in order. We can now proceed to the test.”

Struggling to keep her composure, Takemi picked up the phial and with the utmost effort to not tremble, she handed it to the Greek sculpture that was sitting on the bed.

“What – already? I thought this was going to be a thorough check up, I mean that was faster tha-“

“Drink.” said Takemi. She was a hot mess at this point, trying to speak as little as possible, but in Akira’s eyes, he was only seeing the grim reaper handing him a hellish brew. Resigned to his fate, the boy declared what he thought could very well be his final words: “ain’t nothing but a peanut” and chugged the mixture. A wave of nausea hit him and forced him to lay down.

“Jesus, what did you put in this, vodka? I think I’m gonna … just lie down for a bit…”

Making sure the boy was asleep, Takemi finally sighed in relief and slumped down on her chair. ‘What the hell?! I never noticed he was this ripped! Oh my god, get a hold of yourself Takemi!’ she knew from a young age that she had a muscle fetish - reason for which her love life was almost non-existent - but this surprise just had her stunned. “Kurusu-kun!” Takemi yelled, double-checking if he was still asleep, and after the boy gave no response, she moved in closer to him. Without holding back, the woman grabbed a handful of his bicep and started squeezing. ‘Amazing…it’s huge! The countless hours he must have put into it…’.

Moving her hands, Takemi started rubbing the surface of his chest. ‘Wow… it’s so soft when he’s not flexing it…’. She proceeded to admire and cop a feel of his abs, but when accidentally applying more pressure, the boy groaned in pain. Relieved that Akira didn’t wake up, Takemi sat back and looked at his face. A soft smile began forming as she watched his expression of childlike bliss and innocence, interrupted by small twitches and movements of his lips. nose, eyelids… “Just what are you up to, you rascal?” she said, while brushing his messy, untamed hair.

Her sleeping Guinea pig started to take up more and more place in her heart. He was the one who pushed her to re-take patients, and persevere in Miwa-chan’s cure. And coincidentally, doctor Oyamada stopped threatening her and confessed his past sins. Certainly, Akira Kurusu brought a lot of good things in her life, and she couldn’t be any more thankful for him. She remembered his anger at Oyamada, and how he asked for his name. Takemi was glad that there was someone who cared about her as much as Akira did. Her train of thought was interrupted, as a realization dawned on her:

“Wait a minute; you couldn’t have… no way… so you’re one of them…’

As her lips crawled into a smile, takemi leaned back in her chair and crossed her legs in the usual manner. “Fufufu, now this should be interesting.”


	3. jerking, cleaning.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> as my boy Akira went for a PR, a qt3.14 was mirin hard.

Ann Takamaki’s beauty became an accepted fact, proved time and time again by her successful modeling career and by the palpable thirst of hisghschool boys. What people didn’t see, however, was the grueling hard work she put in her appearance, especially her physique. Four rigorous CrossFit sessions every week to balance her gluttonous appetite are the bare minimum to maintain such a shapely body. As she puts it : “train hard and eat whatever the hell you want!”.

On this Saturday night gym session, she walked in, pumped for her clean and jerk workout. Hitting a new one-rep-max was all she could think about, and the thought of elevating even heavier weight above her head got her all giddy. This excitement was interrupted by a sense of curiosity as soon as she walked into the gym. A crowd of about a dozen people were gathered around a deadlift platform, shouting “LIGHTWEIGHT BABY, C’MON!” presumably encouraging a lifter attempting a personal record. But as Ann penetrated the front lines of the crowd, she saw a familiar face, covered in sweat and grimacing like an animal. It was none other than the leader of the elusive phantom thieves, the usually discreet and secretive Joker, who now found himself in the spotlight as Akira Kurusu.

Bending over a barbell, Akira gripped the knurled part of the metal by hooking his thumbs under the index and middle finger. Setting his hips down and straightening his back, he got into the starting position of the clean. Taking in a big breath, he pulled the bar with great force across his legs, and quickly ducked under the bar. After standing up with the weight on his shoulders, the crowd became even wilder, shouting “YEAH BUDDY” as loud as they could. With a loud and piercing shout, Akira finished the rep by splitting his legs and jerking the weight overhead. The cheers were deafening, so much so that the heavy _“thud”_ of the weight being set down couldn’t be heard.

The boy straightened himself, huffing and puffing, with a smile from ear to ear on his face. After some buff guys shook his hand, the crowd dissipated and Ann could finally approach Akira:

“What a show that was. didn’t know you had such a knack for drawing in crowds” said Ann cockily. Taken aback by the sudden interjection, the boy could do nothing but jump in surprise and stutter a few words:

“A-Ann, I uhm… didn’t see you standing there…” with a determined _“ahem”_ , Akira set himself straight and continued the conversation: “Anyway, I didn’t know you went to this gym. Or that you went to the gym at all, for that matter. Though I guess you have to burn all those crêpes somehow.”

“Hey! For your information, I’m bulking! said Ann with a frown. Anyway, how much did you just lift?”

“Well, if the earth’s gravity hasn’t changed since a few moments ago, than that makes 140 kilograms, barbell included.”

Ann couldn’t hide her stupefied expression, as she stood staring slack-jawed at Akira.

“You might wanna close your mouth, some flies could crawl up in there” said the boy with a sarcastic smile.

“That was mean! And it’s not every day you see someone clean and-“ Ann stopped dead in her tracks as she took a clearer look at Akira. He was in an Olympic weightlifting singlet, that only oh-so-shyly covered part of his torso and and two vertical strings running over his chest and traps. his lower body was completely exposed from the mid-thigh downwards. Akira was emanating a mesmerizing odor of sweat, metal and chalk that attracted Ann to no end. His forearms were pumped and veiny, like two cannons ready to fire. His delts were dirty white from presumably rubbing chalk on them, which only accentuated their size even more. But the most impressive feature of this young Olympian were his bulging quadriceps. Pumped and shiny, these tree trunks of legs were exploding with muscular energy. the vastus medialis hugged the inside of his thigh like perfect tear drop sculpted out of marble. his vastus lateralis looked thick and meaty, ready to be hung up in a butcher’s shop. his amazing legs were at the same time thick, solid, and tight, and Ann couldn’t stop ogling. as a lifter herself, she understood the grueling process of building muscle, and this manifestation of akira’s strength and discipline only made An admire her leader even more.

‘you ‘mirin?’ thought akira, determined to flex a ‘cep. but his autism and inexperience with women made him reconsider. “W-well I think I’ll leave you to your own devices, and don’t forget to do some foam rolling. I don’t want you sore and cramped up in Mementos”. Her trance broken, Ann could only stutter a few words: “oh, uhm, yeah! of course!” ‘what the hell Akira?! you have no right to be this built!’ she thought, turning away to hide her blush. “I-I’ll get to my training then.”

Akira was wiping his hands as he walked away to the changing room, but he couldn’t help take a few looks at ann. he was a high school boy after all, with raging hormones, and the alluring figure of a model in tight pants had bested his gentleman nature. ‘In yo face, Morgana’. He watched Ann load a barbell with 5kg each side and set up for what he thought was a deadlift, until she quickly cleaned the bar on her shoulders. ‘The hell? since when does she do oly?, thought Akira with an intrigued and excited smile. And who the hell taught her to clean? Must be some of those CrossFit pansies. She’s using her arms way too much.’ after witnessing another technically lacking clean with heavier weight, he decided to finally step in and help this lifter in distress.

“Hey! I’m glad you lift, but your technique… leaves a lot to be desired”. Taken by surprise, Ann quickly turned around with a slight “kya!” and a blush in her cheeks, upon re-seeing her muscle clad teammate. ‘Damn she’s cute’ he thought. “I’ll teach you some proper technique, alright? So when the weights get heavy, you’ll still be able to walk.”

Feeling all hot and bothered, our lady could only nod. She was glad, however, that she got to spend some time with their mysterious leader. And she was even more excited about getting more time with that rippling body of his. After an hour of drills and mobility work, they were both sweaty and satisfied with today’s work.

“Well color me surprised, I didn’t know you could put up weight like that!” said the boy.

“Ah whatever, you’re just saying it. It’s only 60kg. Compared to your 140kg… it’s just a peanut”. Seeing the dejected look on Ann’s face, Akira quickly took her hands:

“So what? Light, heavy, easy, hard, what does it matter? As long as you’re doing something to improve yourself every day, you’re already ahead of most people. Every time we come to the gym, we’re adding a pebble to the pile, and if we’re consistent and patient, you can bet your ass we’ll make a mountain.” The fire in Akira’s eyes got to her, as she started feeling pumped up. “Whether it’s in a palace, at school or at the gym, we strive towards greatness by taking slow and steady steps every day. Never give up, okay?”

Smiling from ear to ear, she jumped and hugged Akira, who was fortunately strong enough to easily support her. “Roger that, Joker!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this doesn't mean they're together you horny fucks


	4. Getting Handsy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akira, sore from both the gym and mementos, decided the only way to freshen up was with a massage!

*THUD*

“wow, got to stop falling ass first onto concrete” said a messy haired boy. to his side, a certain feline lay on the ground, meowing. to a bypasser, it would sound just like any other cat, albeit with a plaintif tone, but not to this boy.

“I wish what they said about cats falling on all fours was true…”

“I can do flips and move like a ballerina in mementos, but I just can’t seem to get rid of my two left legs for the life of me”

“Yeah, no wonder, you big oaf. You’re reaching 200 pounds”

“And I suppose you’re just like a swan, even after eating fatty tuna for a whole week”

Indeed, if a passerby were to see this scene unfold, he would deem this boy crazy. After all, who in their right mind would be at a subway station at night on Monday evening? the simple action of getting up didn’t go by without its fair share of groans and grunts and grimaces of pain, and the boy dreaded having to walk all the way back home.

“Going alone in mementos wasn’t one of my brightest ideas… but at least I unlocked some new floors”

“Not like I tried to warn you. What are you going to do now? You promised the others you’d all go tomorrow”

“Damn it, I completely forgot! I won’t be able to move a limb tomorrow if I don’t get some recovery ASAP.”

They both racked their brain as hard as they could. Failing to keep a promise would go against their courteous nature, and certainly leave a mark on their pride. The cat spoke first:

“What about the bathhouse?”

“Closed, replied Akira. … Wait, I got it!”

Much to morgana’s interest, Akira took out his phone and quickly formed a number from his call logs:

“Hello… yes… in yongen-jaya… look for a coffee shop, you can’t miss it… at 10:30 pm… perfect, thank you”. Putting his phone back in and stuffing the cat in the bag, Akira mustered up the strength in his legs to walk at a quickened pace. “c’mon, I made some arrangements” he said with his signature cocky smile.

*

Back in Yonge jaya, the streets were as quiet as ever. The tall apartment buildings had only a few windows lit up, and the road ahead was only visible by the lights from the different street signs. The occasional old woman would pass by with a caddy or a basket behind her. As much as Akira wanted to help, he knew he had more pressing matters to get to. The usual salarymen and homemakers were not out on the streets, adding to the calming, almost otherworldly silence passing by the store on his way home, Akira saw a pyramid of tubs behind the display case. His interest piqued, he moved in closer to examine it. Much to his surprise, the tubs read, “Whey chocolate isolate”. ‘Oh man, protein powder… my favorite too’ he thought.

“Don’t even think about it” said Mona sharply

“I wasn’t going to-“

“Oh yeah you were. You always spend your remaining money on protein instead of supplies or medicine”

“Ok mom” said the boy with a scowl and a frown. Wandering through the streets, or rather limping, Akira made his way back to LeBlanc. After a fierce battle with the stairs, in which his quadriceps died and resurrected multiple times, he found himself in his room. The time was 10:25. ‘Any minute now’ he thought.

“Mind explaining what these “arrangements” are exactly?” said his feline companion, with a most curious expression.

“I guess I still haven’t told you, huh” as soon as he finished his sentence, he heard a few knocks on the door downstairs: “oh, the masseuse is here!”

*

Sadayo kawakami, high school teacher and workaholic – not by choice – was drowning in quizzes that needed correcting. Her apartment was even more of a mess than usual. Recently, the Takases have been relentless with their demands for payment. Multiple times, she thought about cracking open a beer or even skipping to the stronger stuff, but the thought if drinking alone on a Monday night stopped her dead in her tracks. ‘Come ON girl, you have to pull yourself together!’ putting on a cheesy love comedy on the TV, she dived head first into the huge pile of uncorrected tests. Even her soreness from the gym could not deter her. However, this ironclad determination did not last long, as a ping from her phone made her shudder.

It was her maid company. Asking for more shifts proved to be futile yet again, and so, she was happy to take whatever job came her way. Quickly opening up the message from her boss, she glanced over the details of the job: ‘massage… this late at night? I hope it is not some weirdo again. For 10.30 pm. Right, now the makeover!’ this complete overhaul of not only looks, but also personality would leave someone dumbfounded, but Sadayo had no time to consider such things. After all, there was work to do. Opening the door, ready to leave, she realized she had not looked at the address. Taking out her phone and reading the message again left Sadayo in a state of utter shock:

“You have got to be kidding me…”

*

Akira quickly ran to the door to open it. He saw a silhouette in what he assumed was maid attire, but two very familiar pigtails quickly popped out. Opening the door, he thought ‘yeah right, there’s no way-‘ but lo and behold, Becky the maid and Akira the master stood there face to face. The boy sported a white tank top and gray shorts, and a shaker cup in his left hand. Staring blankly at his teacher in a maid outfit, he was unsure what to say. Luckily, Sadayo answered his stare with another on of her own. After all, how could she not stare at the skin show in front of her? The boy’s pectorals bulged out from the tank top, with deep, defined lines down the middle. As he shook the shaker cup, his pecs softly contracted and relaxed, locking Sadayo in this loop. His forearms were particular pumped, with veins running down like thick ivy on a wall. Sadayo could not help but stare at the cup, tightly enveloped in Akira’s grip. She wondered what it would feel like but quickly discarded such thoughts in shame. She was looking at Akira, who sported a bemused and slightly cocky smile. ‘How cute, Akira thought. I wonder what she’s so flustered about’. Akira never had a particular fetish, up until a few weeks ago when a certain house cleaner started visiting him. He had to admit, the outfit grew on him quite a lot.

“So you’re my masseuse I take it?” seeing the annoyed and worried look on Sadayo’s face, Akira quickly added: “I swear this wasn’t planned or anything. I just called the only company I knew, which happened to be Victoria. If you are uncomfortable… I understan-“

“n-no, it’s fine, really” she replied. ‘Jeez, you big dummy, do not you realize the reason I am so flustered is you? Gosh when did he get THIS swole’ Sadayo thought. ‘And since when do I say swole? The gymbro culture is really getting to me…’ recomposing herself, she picked up her kit and went to the second floor with Akira. With a blush in her cheek, she invited him to lay down on his bed. Backside up. She rummaged through her bag for the necessary preparations and faced Akira once again.

“Alright, let’s get star- OHMYGODWAITWHATAREYOUDOING?” she yelped as the sight of a bare chested Akira lay in front of her.

Tank top crumpled in his hand, Akira said a bit taken aback: “Well, I was preparing for the massage and I thought…”

“N-no way! I am not laying hands on one of my students! Do you know in how much trouble I’d get?”

“Mrs. Kawakami, I think that it’s a bit too late to have such thoughts. Besides, I paid for full service didn't I? Or maybe you don’t like what you see, said Akira striking a side-chest pose.’ he thought that this light-hearted joke would lighten up the mood, but it only seemed to make Sadayo more bashful. ‘Don’t tell me, thought Akira, she actually likes me…’ but before he had any chance to pursue the thought, Sadayo quickly urged him on the bed. In this entire flurry, she forgot to mention that it was company policy for the costumers to wear clothes during the massage! Somehow, she did not want that to happen at this particular instance.

“So if you’re new to massages, I should warn you that it’s normal to experience twangs of pain from time to time, alright? I’ll begin working on your lower back.”

“Oh please, I’m not as fragile as you thi – GAAAAAARRRGH”

Sadayo jumped at the cry of pain she heard from the boy. “Kurusu-kun what happened?”

“N-nothing… I see we’re going for max pressure from the start,” said Akira with his face still twisted form the pain.

“But I was barely touching you…” said Sadayo with a vexed expression.

“Right… let’s get on with it then” ‘God I’m such an autist, why did I embarrass myself like that? But damn if that wasn’t some pain I felt… deadlifts haven’t been easy on my lower back.’ he thought.

“I’ll apply less pressure from now on… somehow,” said the house cleaner. She was honestly surprised when Akira broke his composure. The usually cold and composed boy with a steely-eyed look now broke down in front of her. If nothing, it was at least interesting to Sadayo to see another side of her trouble student and Mast- ‘Nonono, not master. He is NOT my master’ she quickly corrected herself. Moving from his spine lower down to the obliques, she accidently brushed her fingertips against Akira’s sides:

“HHHNNNNNnggggggghhh yeah that’s the spot~” said the boy almost moaning.

Again startled by the boy’s reaction, Sadayo jumped back and this time with a much heavier blush.

“Please do that again… it really relieves the pain.” he said with pleading puppy eyes.

‘Pain? What was he doing before this? He really was in pain when I applied more pressure earlier... I guess I have no choice but to do it.’ “Tell me if this works for you, ok?” she said while brushing her fingertips up and down his back.

“Oooohhhh yeahhh~ that’s the spice” Akira said again, almost orgasmic. Sadayo could not help but blush again. This time, however, she did not flinch. But, with all the commotion earlier, Sadayo did not really have the time to LOOK at where she was massaging. Now that she steadied herself, she finally witnessed the magnificent muscle clad backside of her client. The division between his thick, wing-like latissimus dorsi formed a sort of Christmas tree in his lower back. The muscles above his lats, which were the the teres and the infra spinatus looked like the eyes of a face, and the trapezius formed a heavy brow. She never noticed these details, mainly due to the lack of muscle in her day-to-day life. This was sure about to change, she thought, with the discovery of her knight in muscle armor. ‘Ugh what am I thinking about? I shouldn’t get so attached to one of my students… especially not to him’. However, as she ran her fingers across his back, she has to feel the thickness of his muscles, and the little bumps separating each one. The soft moans, groans, and grunts that Akira made amused Sadayo very much, and maybe even instigated some inappropriate thoughts. His usual unexpressive demeanor now crumbled under her touch. ‘Heehaw, I’m the master now’ she thought.

It certainly was weird. Whenever she spent time with Akira, Sadayo cannot help but feel at ease, as if she is protected. Maybe it was the bond created between them by her unusual job. Alternatively, maybe by the fact that they both carry weights from their past. Whatever it was, it made Sadayo happy to be there. Akira certainly was in heaven too. Was there anything better than having the girl you like give you a massage in a house cleaner outfit while mirin your muscles? He did not think so. In addition, whoever disagreed is a DYEl who cannot handle post physique. Indeed, he thought it was weird to like this older woman. However, after a talk with his closest bros, Ryuji and Yusuke, he became more accepting of his crush. The only problem was confessing. As Sadayo’s mind wandered to a faraway place, she unconsciously moved her hand to pat Akira’s head. She enjoyed ruffling his messy hair, but quickly removed it realizing what she had done. Quickly getting up, she started packing her things. Still groggy, Akira watched her confused.

“Wait, Sadayo, where are you going? Is something wrong? Can Me hel-”

“STOP THAT!”

“Stop what?”

“THAT, the thing you always do… putting your nose in other people’s business playing the Good Samaritan”

“Sadayo, I – I don’t understand, are you ok?”

“Argh, there you go doing it again! I'm nothing but trouble for you, Kurusu-kun. What would happen if they found out you are using these house cleaner services? I do not want you to end up like Takase Kun… I am no good to be around. Why do you even want to see me? “

To stop her self-deprecating rambling, Akira quickie took Sadayo’s hand and squeezed it. “Is that what you were worried about all along? Didn’t we agree you could relax when you came here?". Akira took a deep breath and resolved himself to finally express his feelings. whatever happens, happens. "As to why I want to see you... it’s because I like you.”

“You… whaaaaaat?” Sadayo could only stare dumbfounded at the boy in front of her. A love confession. It felt so unreal. She had given up on having a love life. Partly because of her crazy work schedule and partly as a way of atoning for her past sins. Maybe the real reason she felt so good when spending time with Akira was that he was waking up feelings of love inside her… something she had forgotten about. Akira’s mind went wild, and his heart was about to burst out of his chest. ‘Jesus Christ, am I retarded?’

“I… TIME! I need more time to think about this! I uh, I should go now.”

Left alone in his attic, Akira was left to process what just happened. Morgana, who watched the scene unfold on the windowsill, didn't dare comment. Certainly, our two lovebirds will spend many a sleepless nights thinking about their feelings, awaiting the conclusion. How will the love story end, or rather, when will it begin?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so this is where the fanfic braches off into a different "time line". i intend to add more waifus and have Akira be involved with them romantically. so this is the kawakami time line! next chapter will be about doctor legs.


	5. Guilty pleasure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a man and a woman, sheltered together from the pouring rain. whatever shall they do?

The sun slowly rose over the sleepy Yonge Jaya, as the cold from the night hurried away. The rays of sunlight penetrated a certain coffee shop’s attic, falling directly on a purring feline. All was calm for Akira, who sat idly on the bed enjoying the peace. It felt as if that moment was locked in time, exiting separately from the normal current of reality. It has been quite some time since they boy felt such tranquility. Between palaces, exams and spending time with those close to him, he had neglected focusing on himself. The only time he had for himself nowadays was the gym, which he regarded as a form of meditation. It was still relatively early in the morning, about 8 AM. He still had a good hour before costumers started showing up. Akira decides that this Sunday would be a “me day”. Mostly encouraged by his teammates, concerned at how much Akira was exerting himself every day. He didn’t know what to do to fill the whole day, but he figured that gym-time and a walk would do him fine. He finally got up from his bed, stretching upwards, and then touching his toes. He let morgana sleep some more, in hope of enjoying the silence. The heat in the attic was palpable, to the point that the air was hot and stale. He put on shorts and nothing else, figuring that the shop was empty, save for him and Sojiro. Akira grabbed a tub of protein powder from the duty shelves in his room. A present for breaking the deadlift record at his gym. ‘180kg… bunch of dyels’ he thought. Scooping some powder into the cup, he went downstairs to prepare his preworkout. Akira started grunting and making gorilla noises to pump himself up, and bolted down the stairs yelling, “SHAKE TIME GOD DAMN IT”. This was a normal thing for Sojiro at this point, but not for the silver-haired woman sitting at the bar.

She had a steely look, and an obvious frown. Her demeanor was rigid, stern. Not very unfamiliar, thought Akira. She’s been coming more and more by the shop, and being more and more aggressive each time. It was none other than Sae Nijima, public prosecutor and sister of a phantom thief. ‘How ironic’, thought Akira. Unfazed, she looked at the almost naked boy in front of her. Although not visibly shaken, a slight blush appeared in her cheeks. Akira was desperately searching for a way to break the ice:

“It’s been pretty hot these past days,” he said with a nervous laugh.

“Put on some clothes already!” yelled Sojiro. “I’m sorry you had to see that. But the answer is still the same.”

“Then we will be forced to take legal action” she said. Her tone was very imposing “Until next time then.” And with that, she was out of the shop.

“Damn it! Pain in the ass…” Sojiro slumped defeated in a booth.

“Everything ok?” asked Akira.

“Does it look like it’s ok to you? I know you were eavesdropping.”

“Sorry… I was just worried”

“Don’t fill your head with useless stuff. Make sure you behave yourself.”

“Got it, boss.”

Still, Akira could not help but worry. They did steal Futaba’s heart, but she has not woken up yet. Besides Sojiro’s custody problem there was still the thread of Medjed. ‘I just can’t catch a break, can I?’

“Hey! Yelled Morgana, we all agreed that today you’d relax. I know you’re worried about Futaba and Medjed, but you promised us you’d take it easy today. So stop moping and get on with it!”

“Yup, can’t catch a break” said Akira with a smile. ‘At least I have some good friends’ he thought. “What about you though? What are you gonna do all day? I’m afraid my bad won’t be providing transportation anymore for today.”

“Mwehehehe, don’t worry about me. As a phantom thief, I’ll beg around every sushi shop and have a day-long feast!”

“Hah, why am I not surprised? Anyway, I’ll be going out now”

“Will you please put on a shirt first?”

*

Akira wondered through Yongen Jaya, observing things more attentively this time. The salarymen were already gone and it was too early for the children to come out. When he first arrived, he found everything too cramped, but now, he couldn’t complain. He grew to appreciate the quaint and cozy atmosphere of this little district. Everything being so jam-packed created a net of relationships built between the neighbors. Gossiping housewives, snot-nosed children playing all day, elderly folk who seem to know everything, it had it all. Still, Akira had no idea what to do. It was too early for the bathhouse and he didn’t feel like studying. He thought about going to the batting center, when he remembered that it was Sunday, aka juice day. The Aojirou sold in the Shibuya station. Akira had no idea why he bought one every time, but he sure had guts to drink something so foul. At least he felt it in his guts afterwards. He made his way to the subway and managed to find himself a seat. He grabbed a book out of his bag, a copy of Mark Rippetoe’s “Starting Strength” and buried himself in it. Although a book for beginners, Akira was convinced that there was still knowledge to be gained from everything. The subway stopped at Shibuya and he got off. Not much changes in this station. It’s always busy and bustling with youths and elderly alike. Akira remembered how intimidated he felt when he saw it for the first time. Now it was just another place he was passing by. Making his way to the juice stand, the lady greeted him:

“Well if it isn’t Kurusu-kun, out most loyal costumer. Here for the Aoji special I presume?”

“You know it, lady”

“Here’s your Brave Aojirou special, with an extra side of protein. Better gulp it down!”

“It’s like you get off on seeing people drink this mud, I swear” said Akira with a nervous smile. “Well, bottoms up.” Having finished the drink, grunting and grimacing, he took his leave and thought about what to do next. He couldn’t visit Iwai since it would be considered as “work”. The arcade seemed like a good idea, but he wasn’t in the right mindset to crush some records. And so, he did what he knew best. “Gym time, god damn it”. Taking out his shaker cup from his bag, he sipped from it as he walked, thinking about his killer leg workout. Today he had heavy squats on the menu, working up to a single of 180kg. Next up came leg press, quad extensions and finally calf work. He entered the gym hidden away in an alley on Central Street. Pumped full of caffeine, he was ready for a killer squat session.

He exited the gym still a bit light-headed. Akira was still dazed that he managed to hit 180kg. “Well I’ll be damned…405 solid ass pounds.” Quite happy with himself, Akira slowly walked, or rater waddled, to Bing Bang Burger for a post workout meal. He didn’t have a choice but to go so slowly, as that squat left him with the biggest, most skin splitting quad pump he ever had. Even his calves were so tired that it hurt him to move his foot up and down. Once seated at the restaurant, he ordered his meal and ate in silence. The way the waitress looked at his arms in that tank top made Akira quite happy. He had wanted to ask her if she was admiring, but he was kind of autistic, and was sure it would come out like nonsense. He thought about how Morgana wasn’t there to give him the usual snide remarks on his daily activities. Akira deemed that the next right course of action was to fish the day away. Getting up from his seat, he made his way to the subway station, asking himself if he would have the chance to catch anything.

*

It was quite late when Akira reeled in his rod for the final time. 8PM, to be precise, and he was the only on left on the pier. He had been here quite a few hours now, getting some of those sweet vitamin D gains. Still, he hoped the commute back home wouldn’t take long, as heavy rainfall was promised for the late evening. But speaking of the devil, Akira notices tiny specs progressively appearing on the ground. ‘Not good!’ he thought, as he bolted in the direction of the station. But at how tired his legs were, the best he could do was a power walk. While speed walking to the station, nature finally let loose. The wind was a-blowing, and the rain was a-pouring. His English teacher, Mrs. Chuno, had taught him quite the fitting expression: “damn it, it’s raining cats and dogs.” Akira took refuge in a tiny bus stop that had a big-ish roof, but too little, too late. His clothes were now wet to the skin. ‘catching a cold right now is the last thing I need. I better dry off.’

“Fancy meeting you here”

Startled, Akira turned to the direction of the voice. It was the same silver haired woman, with the steely-eyed look. ‘I guess it runs in the family’ thought Akira. “Caught in the rain too?” he asked.

“Yes”-said Sae, taking refuge in the bus station. “It really is the rainy season.”

“How unfortunate, he said with a bemused smirk. Heading back from work, Mrs. Prosecutor?”

“It’s Sae. Sae Nijima. And yes, I was heading back from an investigation. What is a high school student doing this far, this late at night?”

“I’m definitely not doing anything illegal Sae-san” said Akira with the most earnest face he could make. But a smile came to him nonetheless. ‘If only you knew’ he thought. “Sometimes, man’s gotta fish.”

“Didn’t know high schoolers had such interests-… what are you doing?”

In the middle of Sae’s sentence. Akira casually started taking off his tank top. “Gotta dry out. Can’t afford to catch a cold now. Are you wet by the way? You should give me your top.”

“W-wait, what? Why are you taking your top off? What do you mean dry out?” she was quite flustered. More than usual at least. A heavy day of work drained her of all her powers, and the iron composure was nothing more than a front now. Akira’s body was glistening from the rain, and the light from the lamppost was directly falling onto it. It was unthinkable that this body belonged to a normal high school boy. He was a broad shouldered, barrel chested specimen, with perfect rippling abdominals. Never in her life has Sae seen such muscular physique. His upper body and lower body looked like two triangles, meeting at the tip. A perfect X shape.

“I mean what I said, Sae-san, that I’m going to dry out my tank top.”

“And just HOW are you going to do that when it’s pouring all around was?”

“Watch.” Akira lifted up his arms, in which he firmly grasped his top, slowly breathing in and concentrating. His forearms were contracting, bringing out every single line striation and blowing up in size. As he breathed in and lifted his hands, his chest rose higher and condensed together, making it even thicker. Some wing-like muscles at his side, connected to his back, also greatly widened. She was watching a muscular body become even more muscular. When his hands were higher than his shoulders, he violently whipped his arms down with a “SSSHHAAAAAH”, and his whole upper body followed, into a downward curling motion. A loud whipping, thundering sowed followed, and the boy got up with what was now an almost dry tank top. Sae couldn’t believe what she just witnessed. It was like a superhero cartoon she would watch as a toddler.

“Tch, not completely dry. Seems I’ve lost the touch. Anyway, you should give me your top as well.” He said, reaching with his hand towards Sae. The woman snapped back to reality, with a face full of shock and wonder, and a red blush forming on her cheeks.

“N-no, I’m fine… don’t worry about me.”

“You can’t bring justice to this land if you’re sick, can you, Mrs. Prosecutor?” Sae looked contemplatively at Akira for a moment. It went without saying that she was a very careful person and a with a good eye of character. She could get a read on a person fairly quickly, and then categorize them as she sees fit. Not for this boy, however. It may have been his calm, well handled demeanor, his friendly gestures, or - as much as Sae hated to admit it – his alluring physique. But it most likely had to do with his face. Never had she seen something like it. Unique, yet familiar and comforting. As she looked in his eyes, past his fake lenses, she saw worry, determination, a melancholic sadness, and a tinge of anger. Things she sees every day when looking in a mirror. It puzzled her how a simple high school boy could have such complex features. It made her want to trust him. So she took off her soaked vest and handed it to him, not before glancing at his hand. It was rugged, scarred, like it took battle damage. Her intrigue grew even more.

“You sure like undressing yourself.”

“Hah, you mirin?” said Akira without thinking.

“What?”

“o-oh, uh, it’s nothing, just thinking out-loud.”

“Did you just ask me if I’m admiring?” said Sae with a raised eyebrow.

“n-no, I was actually admiring you!” he was desperately searching to change the subject. “Being a prosecutor must be tough. You’re responsible for delivering justice. A lot of expectations must fall on you Sae-san.”

“Like you wouldn’t believe. Can I have my top back now?”

“Oh, sorry!” again, lifting his arms and contracting his upper body musculature, Akira whipped his body, taking all the water from the piece of clothing. He gave it back to Sae, but not before doing a quick up-and-down. Sae was… beautiful, to put it simply. Her fair complexion and sharp facial features complemented the dark silver shade of her hair. And as Akira looked down, he say that she wore a sleeveless turtle neck, Which was now skintight due to the rain. ‘Whoa, big mommy milkies’ he thought, but quickly snapped himself out of it. Silence befell the bus stop, and Akira was the first to break the ice:

“So, how was work?”

“Tough. I don’t expect a kid like you could understand-“

“Oh please, spare me the “kid” talk. A lot of adults are bumbling through life, not knowing what to do. Plenty of kids out there doing way better than adults. And maybe I won’t understand it fully. Maybe not at all. But at least I can try. And if that makes you feel a little better then I’m happy.” Charmed by his benevolence, Sae slumped down in the seat. She weirdly felt at ease talking to him.

“Then listen carefully and let this be a lesson for you. It’s… cut-throat. A rat race. Every day we fight tooth and nail to one up each other and stand out.” She said melancholically. “The justice system is far from perfect. And there’s no easy fix for it. In some cases, there’s not even a fix at all. It’s easy to get lost in dread, kid, so be careful not to slip.”

“I see… so they’re all idiots and you’re the only competent one, is that right?” he said in hope of lightening the mood.

“Something like that” said Sae with a chuckle. “How about you Kurusu-kun? Are you faring well in school?”

“Wait, you know my name?”

“My sister told me about you. She’s the student council president at Shujin Academy. Apparently you’re quite the delinquent.”

“So you’ve heard about my record, huh? Or the rumors that I’ve killed a man in cold blood, or that I’m part of the mafia, that I took out 5 yakuza members by myself?”

“Nothing that extreme. But is it true…? About your record, I mean. You don’t look like the type to be charged for assault.”

“Gee, thanks for the complement, miss!” Akira said sarcastically. He looked into the rain and contemplated the question. “Are you sure you wanna open up this can of worms, prosecutor?”

“We have plenty of time, so I don’t see why not.”

“Alright, said Akira with a deep breath. It’s not true. It’s a lie. A goddamned lie. I was walking at night when I suddenly saw this man forcing himself on a woman. I was scared as well, but a feeling in my gut just couldn’t let me walk away. I got closer and told him to stop. It was pretty dark, so he was startled and fell. Unfortunately, he hit his head and started bleeding. From what I can gather, he’s a big-shot politician. From the moment I spoke up, my fate was sealed. It happened in a flash. The cops, the jury, the trial, the judge… all danced to his song. Even the woman he was forcing himself on kept quiet. Apparently, she was one of his employees. I was all alone. My whole perception of ‘justice’ crumbled in front of me.”

Sae could see Akira progressively tense up as he spoke. His voice was becoming brasher, and his eyes were burning a whole into the distance. He put his hands together to contain himself. All of a sudden, his muscles got suddenly pumped up. His shoulders inflated, his forearms hardened, his biceps ballooned and his chest started bulging out. But most of all, his neck muscles were showing themselves at their full power. Like walls protecting a castle entrance, they looked rock hard. Akira’s bent over position made it even easier for Sae to see them, along with the rest of his back musculature hardening at once. It was no secret that Akira loved flexing, and used it to calm himself.

“I’m…so sorry” said Sae. She knew fully aware what Akira was talking about. She was a prosecutor after all. These types of stories were now common occurrence in the judicial world, but to see a victim of this system in real life was still shocking for her. It reminded her of what she strove to fight against when she joined the force. And in turn, it reminded her of her faulire to stay true to her ideals. Seeing that she had started brooding, Akira quickly interjected:

“Don’t be. It’s in the past. I want to say that I’m not angry, or that I let it go. But that’s a lie. I can’t help it, I’m only human. When I think about it, I can’t help but feel a raging desire to rip and tear all the injustice from this world. But I’m not that much of an idealist. So I try not to think about it. After all, the only thing we can do is get stronger.” At this point, he got up and started stretching his arms. Turning around and striking a double biceps, he gave a big smile to Sae:

“so keep working hard. for you and me both, Mrs. Prosecutor”

She couldn’t help but blush and smile, at this radiating sun in front of her. The rain was letting up, so they both took their leave. With new wind in her sails, Sae inspired herself to keep her ideals close, hoping that one day, every youth may be as beaming as Akira. It was until much later at night, that flashing images of Akira’s body inspired very different thoughts in her head. This time, with a much heavier blush.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BY THE WAY if you for some chance don't have the brain power required to imagine a buff Akira, look no further than these drawings by long-time fan and supporter AND fellow writer effuseth (https://archiveofourown.org/users/effuseth/works). you can throw her a follow at @erejeste on instagram.
> 
> the drawings:  
> https://imgur.com/a/CgWEHO0
> 
> this chapter was very expiremental. that being said, i pretty much have no idea what waifu to do the next. i might do something with makoto after i finish the kawakami and takemi storyline. i've been playing P5R and i gotta say, pretty good. my only complaint is that ATLUS still won't let us date Sae. next chapter is going to be about takemi, the next one about kawakami, then another one with takemi.


	6. Healing the heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a bruised and banged up Akira show's up at the doctor's doorstep. emotions, feelings, PASSION ensues.

“RUN, head for the exit while I hold them off!”

“What are you saying, it’s too dan-“

“No comments. Leader’s orders.”

*

The clock almost struck midnight, and the subway station was nearly empty. Few trains, no cars, and the usual bustling crowd was absent at this hour. The only background noise was the deep, profound, almost monotone humming that every metropolis has. A boy came out limping from the station, leaning himself against the railing. His clothes were intact, but everything else was a mess. His hair, messier than usual, hid his roughed up face. His hands were covered in bruises and the numerous cuts across his torso began to ache even more. The wounds from the Metaverse weren’t anything lethal, but coupled with his complete exhaustion, Akira was afraid he’d collapse on the spot. He needed medical help, and he needed it fast.

‘Only one place I can go to. She’s gonna kill me for this though.’

Having limped his way to the backstreets of Yongen Jaya, his fatigue was catching up with him. Luckily, the light in Tae’s clinic was still on. The stairs and the elevators seemed like a herculean feat at this point. Slowly and surely, he made it to the waiting room/reception of the clinic. It was empty, and the TV was off. Akira approached the door and almost fell through it, if it wasn’t for his hand supporting him against the wall. He knocked once.

“Go away, it’s closed.”

He knocked a second time. The usually cool and calm doctor was subject to a bit of fatigue of her own, and got up to confront the man at the door irritated.

“What part of ‘it’s closed’ don’t you-“

Tae’s sentence got cut off by the body of a familiar (and very dear) messy-haired kid slumping down on her. She was stunned to see such a display in front of her, and froze up for a few seconds. Having understood the situation, Akira used his last energy to muster the following words:

“Hey doc…help me…”

Reaching the point of complete exhaustion, his legs gave out and his consciousness faded. The full 200lbs mass of Akira was now resting solely against Tae’s body. In a quick maneuver, she turned him and let him fall on the bed in her clinic. Although unconscious, the boy lying down still had that subtle cocky smirk. She looked at her guinea pig for a second, and a rush of emotion bubbled up inside her. But no, now was not the time for that. Situations like this call for a cool and composed demeanor, in order to achieve the most rational state of mind. Taking a pair of scissors, she tore everything off him, save his undergarments. Wincing for a split second at Akira’s busted up body, she quickly took to applying first aid. Having applied band aids on his bruises, he turned him on his stomach, revealing a laceration that spanned across his back diagonally. Although only minor, there were still hints of blood. After properly disinfecting and bandaging the wound, she let the boy rest.

‘Sleep is the best medicine after all… what in the world did he do to get this banged up?’ thoughts started rushing through her head. Akira getting into fights, getting beaten up. Knowing him, it must have surely been to protect someone, she thought.

‘how selfish of you… think of those around you, you little…’ yet her harsh remarks could do nothing but fade away when she looked at her dear guinea pig sleeping so soundly in front of her. Drawing closer, Tae took her time in inspecting Akira. She ran her hand through his hair, parting it in all sorts of ways. Descending down on his face, she cupped his cheek. Feeling the soft warmth of his exhausted body, she started rubbing her thumb as well. Blood rushing to her cheeks, she felt a certain tightness in her chest. An otherwise unknown occurrence, this sensation only manifested when Tae thought of Akira, which was happening more and more these days. She thought about what he’s doing, where he is, whether he’s poking his nose into other people’s business – the answer to which she knew was always ‘yes’.

Unfortunately for her, Akira’s eyes opened and turned to look at Tae. She removed her hand and with a much heavier blush, she swung her chair around to face the other way. Akira sat up, but a heavy hand quickly pushed him back down.

“Lie. Down.” Tae made sure to accentuate every letter very meticulously. Although she did not raise her voice, Akira still sensed the fury in her voice. She was angry, and he wasn’t gonna get out unscathed.

“I guess I’m not gonnna be let off that easily“

“Quiet, you.” She had to compose herself. She felt many different emotions at the moment, but in such a strong way that she’s never really felt before. She had to sort it out, and decide what to say to him.

‘Damn it, she really is mad’ thought Akira. Even the negotiations with high-level shadows weren’t as stressful as this.

“I’m sorry, Tae, for springing this on you so suddenly. I got careless and-“

“Oh you should be sorry alright. Sorry for getting beaten up like that, you moron. Think of all the people close to you, do you think they’d be happy seeing you like this? How selfish can you get? I bet you took it all on your shoulders to protect someone, is that it?

“Well… yes, but-“

“No. buts. YOU need to think about yourself too. You were lucky that this time the injuries were only minor… but what if…” Tae didn’t even want to think about such scenarios. “I’m not a miracle worker, you know?” seeing the otherwise unfazed doctor be this emotive, Akira understood the gravity of his actions. I mean, how would you react if your friend came to you and fainted at your doorstep? You’d probably scold him to the moon and back, right? Is what he thought. He knew that nothing but a hearfelt and sincere apology would suffice. He got up and bowed:

“Takemi-san, I’m truly sorry. What I did was highly irresponsible. Please forgive me”

“… at least you can apologize. Now sit down”

“I really have to get goin-“

Tae didn’t want to hear any of it. She glared at Akira with a raised brow, much like a predator after sparing his prey. Akira immediately understood and sat down. ‘And here I was thinking that’d be enough.’

“So what’s first?” asked Tae

“…huh…?”

“I asked what you’re going to explain first. The bruises? Or collapsing from exhaustion?”

“As ruthless as ever, Takemi-san. Well, you see, I actually fell down the stairs and-“

“And what? And you think I’d believe that? You’re a terrible lier Kurusu-kun.” She said with a cruel smirk. Akira was backed into a corner; there was no way he could make up a plausible excuse that would satisfy Takemi. Resting his palms on his thighs, he bowed again:

“Takemi-san, believe when I say I’m sorry. But I can’t give you any explanation for my injuries. The circumstances are outlandish, but if it were only that I wouldn’t hide anything from you. It’s because it involves not just me, but people I hold dear. As you said, I ended up like this by trying to protect those close to me.” Akira thought that it was the best he could do at the moment. He meant every word he said, and had hoped his passion and earnestness would have reached Takemi. He was, however, unsure about what he wanted to say next. Akira his head to look at her:

“And since you’re close to me, I want to say sorry again.” Akira really did mean it, but he was worried about how the angry doctor would take it. He was surprised to see Tae swing around on her chair again. With her back to the boy, she was trying her hardest to hide her smile.

“I’m not letting you go unless you can GUARANTEE that this won’t happen again,” said Tae.

With a smile from ear to ear, Akira could only stand up, bow, and say:

“I PROMISE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR HARD WORK, DOC” and took the unsuspecting Takemi into a bear hug. She could feel herself getting hotter and hotter, and her face was turning red. Being squeezed by Akira’s burly arms, pressed against his bulging chest, wasn’t something she was expecting to face today. Realizing what he had done, Akira quickly let her go.

“S-sorry, I acted on impulse there, I just kind of carried away and… Is something wrong? You’ve been turned around for some time now.” How COULD Tae face him? There was no way she was going to let Akira, the boy she was supposed to harshly scold, see her in such a state. She was a blushing mess!

“N-nevermind that. And don’t forget, you promised.”

“Yes ma’am! Your guinea pig may is quite responsible.”

“And that’s why he collapsed in my arms?” said Tae sarcastically, having calmed down. They both got a slight blush when she said “in my arms’ though. Sensing the tension, Akira took his leave:

“I’ll be going now. Thanks for everything, Takemi-san”

“Just stay away from trouble” said Tae, sighing. She smiled as she watched the patched up boy head towards the door. Quickly turning around with his signature cocky smile, this time a lot wider though, Akira said:

“Well, trouble should stay away from me!” he exclaimed. They lingered, smiling at each other and enjoying the moment, wanting it to last just a bit more. When the time came – along with a slight blush – Akira left and bid a final farewell to Takemi.

Much to Tae’s amusement, Akira seemed to have forgotten that he only had his underwear on. ‘A fitting punishment’ she thought. That night, they would fall asleep still smiling, surely picturing the other’s grin in their heads.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i live! i live. i would like to appologize for this very long hiatus, as well for the quality of this chapter. there are no excuses. blame me and hate me all you want, it is all justified. i do promise, however, that this series will still continue, that's something i can guarantee. the next chapter will be the conclusion to Kawakami's story line, then a chapter that consludes Akemi's story like. if you haven't picked up yet, i quite like older women so the chapters after that will probably be about Sae and Chihaya. i may make something with Kasumi as well, since i got inspired after Persona 5R. as always, criticisms and suggestions are warmly welcome. 
> 
> until next time,  
> MuscleDude


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